Plug-in News

The 2014 Vancouver International Auto Show is featuring the Green Ride & Drive on March 25-30 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Plug in BC will be there March 29 - come share your test drive experience with us!

On December 6 the Province of BC announced that another 145 electric vehicle charging stations are coming to BC communities, in a second round of funding under the Community Charging Infrastructure Fund. More than 60% of stations in this round are being installed by businesses. See the news release here.

Sept 12 Burnaby - As part of the $2.7-million Community Charging Infrastructure (CCI) Fund, 71 organizations have been approved through an Early Bird Application process for charging station incentives.

The CCI Fund Results are in

In April 2012, the Province of BC announced a $2.7 million Community Charging Infrastructure (CCI) Fund to support a province-wide network of electric vehicle charging stations in 2012-2013. See the news release and backgrounder on the Province of BC website.

The goal was to support charging stations serving members of the public or fleets, with participation of municipalities, regional governments, First Nations communities, BC businesses and other organizations. This charging infrastructure is an important step in offering drivers options away from home. The CCI Fund provided funding incentives to communities and businesses through a Charging Stations Incentive and Planning Incentive.

As a result of the Community Charging Infrastructure Fund, 456 Level 2 charging stations have been installed across the province.

Below is a map showing all operational charging stations supported by the CCI Fund. You can also visit PlugShare to find a station near you.

READY, SET, CHARGE!

Plug In BC is an initiative co-chaired by the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines and BC Hydro to help lay the groundwork for plug-in electric vehicles and related electric charging infrastructure in British Columbia.

It is a broad collaboration between the Province of BC, BC Hydro, the Fraser Basin Council, Powertech Labs, over 180 communities and businesses, the University of British Columbia's Transportation and Infrastructure Public Space Lab, the BC Institute of Technology, the University of Victoria's Institute for Integrated Energy Systems and Simon Fraser University.

Ready to help Plug in BC? So are we!

KNOW YOUR ELECTRIC CARS!

Did you know there are two basic types of plug-in electric vehicles that can use charging stations on the road?

A 100% plug-in electric vehicle has a battery charged entirely by plugging into the electrical grid, meaning zero tailpipe emissions. An example is the Nissan Leaf, which is built to go 160 km on a single charge.

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle has a battery charged principally by plugging the vehicle into the electrical grid – but also features an internal combustion engine, which extends the range. The Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid, built to go 40-80 km on the electric battery before switching to gasoline power.

Visit the FBC Green Fleets (Electric vehicles) page for a quick overview of hybrid, plug-in and fuel cell electric cars. Then visit manufacturer websites for information on different makes and models.

BC already has the highest adoption rate for traditional hybrid vehicles in Canada (2.5X higher than other provinces). There's good reason to be charged up about the new generation of plug-in electrics now rolling out!

About Plug in BC

Plug In BC is an initiative led by the Province of BC to lay the groundwork for plug-in electric vehicles and related electric charging infrastructure.

This is a broad collaboration that includes BC Hydro, the City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, Fraser Basin Council (Green Fleets BC), BC Institute of Technology and University of Victoria (Institute for Integrated Energy Systems).

About the Community Charging Infrastructure Fund

A cornerstone of Plug in BC is the Community Charging Infrastructure (CCI) Fund. This fund offers incentives to both public and private sector to help build a network of 570 electric vehicle charging stations across BC for use by the public and by fleets.

The Fund is overseen by the BC Ministry of Environment and BC Ministry of Energy and Mines, and administered by the Fraser Basin Council.